Visiting Student Interns

WHO ARE VISITING STUDENT INTERNS (VSI)?

^{Students who are enrolled in a non-Columbia University degree program and would like to visit Columbia to conduct research training with a PI will now be treated as Visiting Student Interns. This position as visiting student intern can be either an undergraduate or graduate student in a U.S. or foreign educational institution. The period of the internship cannot exceed one year, and the student is expected to resume their academic degree program at their home institution at the conclusion of their research internship at Columbia. This group includes visiting students who perform research in the laboratories of Columbia faculty or officers of research.}

^{Prior to this new policy, such visiting students held an appointment at Columbia with internal or external funding. At the undergraduate level, this population was referred to as Visiting Student Intern-Research. At the graduate level, Masters students were appointed as Staff Associate I and PhD students as Staff Associate II}

TO SPONSOR A VSI, THE FOLLOWING THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

^{Please provide proof of enrollment throughout the duration of the visit in a non-Columbia University degree program, either at the undergraduate or graduate level.}

^{We expect students to have funding support of at least $3000 per month. Acceptable funding sources that can be used to satisfy 49% of this funding requirement can be found here for both domestic and international students.}

^{For domestic students, proof of housing at no cost to the student (e.g., such as a letter written and signed by a family member/friend confirming a VSI living in the same household) can substitute for the 49% funding requirement.}

^{The remaining 51% of the funding must come from the student’s home institution, an external funding agency, and/or from the Columbia sponsor.}

^{If a student has 100% funding from their home institution or an external funding agency, there is no need for the PI to provide funding.}

^{To support the designation of the Visiting Student Intern, the Columbia sponsor must provide a brief statement on the Visiting Student Intake Form indicating the training components of the internship.}

^{The Columbia sponsor should indicate specific knowledge, skills, or techniques that the student will learn; how the knowledge, skills, or techniques will be taught (including specific tasks, activities, and methodologies of training); and how the acquisition of new skills will be measured.}

Visiting Student Intern Program for NYC Local Area Students (VSI-Local)

^{VSI-Local is an expanded category of Visiting Student Interns, which applies to students who are enrolled in a secondary school or post-secondary school degree program at an institution in New York City and the immediate surrounding area, and who would like to visit Columbia to receive research training with a Columbia Principal Investigator (PI). VSI-Local includes high-school, undergraduate or graduate students. The period of the internship cannot exceed one year, with the possibility of renewal. This group includes visiting students who perform research activities in the laboratories of Columbia faculty or officers of research.}

^{Because this group of students already live in the New York City area and are attending a local institution/school, the funding requirement of $3000/month is waived for all VSIs-Local during the school year. For summer VSIs-Local, the stipend is waived for high school students, but not for undergraduate or graduate students. We remind the PIs that the internship experience must fulfill educational requirements to the benefit of the intern, as documented in the required forms.}

^{Under this new policy, local students who are minors (students under 18 years old) may participate in internships involving research training with a Columbia PI. Such interactions may take place within outreach programs organized by Columbia schools or departments, or by faculty individually. Under appropriate supervision, these interactions deepen the engagement of our faculty and officers of research with students across New York City, and support local workforce development.}

^{There are additional considerations and requirements for Columbia personnel working with minors [see: https://protectionofminors.columbia.edu/] Supervisors must have a record of positive mentorship in their past research supervision to qualify to supervise minors. Some considerations for hosting a VSI who is a minor:}

^{All internships involving minors must be registered as a program in the Protection of Minors database at}^{www.tinyurl.com/cuprotection}^{. All adults who will be interacting with the minor must be included in the registration.}
^{Any university member (e.g. faculty, students, or staff) with regular interactions with the student must follow the University policies on Protection And Treatment of Minors.(}^{https://universitypolicies.columbia.edu/content/protection-and-treatment-minors-columbia-university}^{), including the following requirements:}
- ^{Complete online Protection of Minors training (https://protectionofminors.columbia.edu/content/training-protection-minors-columbia) .}
- ^{Undergo a background check conducted by Columbia’s third party vendor.}
^{Any questions regarding compliance with Protection of Minors policies should be directed to Rachel Ferrari, Exec. Dir., Office of the Protection of Minors,}^{[email protected]}^{, (212) 853-3731.}
^{At least 2 adult members of a research lab must be designated to supervise the minor VSI. For example, a PI and a PhD student who works with the student could both be designated supervisors. One of the designated supervisors must be physically present in the research lab with the minor VSI at all times.}
^{In accordance with the University’s}^{Compliance and Training Requirements for Visitors Involved in Research Activities}^{, the minor VSI must complete any Rascal training required for the research project in labs.}
^{The student should be provided with a contact in the host school in case the student has any questions or concerns about their VSI experience. For example, the vice-dean for undergraduate education could be an appropriate contact.}

TO PROCESS VISITING STUDENT INTERN REQUESTS:

See Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

See required documents and forms:

Visiting Student Intake Form- _{^{Updated 02/13/25}}
Inventions Agreement for Visiting Personnel Using Columbia University Research Facilities
Visiting Student Intern Letter Template
Submit a Visiting Student Intake Form
- VSI intake form must be uploaded via the DAC App
- School, department, institute, center representatives may submit an application to get access to the DAC App

Please note that the Columbia sponsor or applicable Principal Investigator must ensure that VSIs complete any mandatory training or other research compliance requirements in accordance with the University’s “Policy on Compliance and Training Requirements for Visitors involved in Research Activities” (more information is available on the “Visiting Student Intake Form” and through the Research Compliance Training Finder).

For approval on Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses follow step 4, and for CUIMC campus follow step 5.

Once ready, all forms need to be submitted to the respective Dean’s, EVP’s, or Director’s office at the Schools, Institutes, or Centers located on the Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses.

Requests for Visiting Student Interns at CUIMC should be submitted via the JIRA system https://jira.surgery.columbia.edu/, and questions about the process should be directed to Daniel Shin ([email protected]) in the CUIMC Office of Faculty Affairs.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFECTED BY VSI POLICY INCLUDE:

✘ Visiting Scholar/Scientist

-----------------------------------------------------
Visiting students who come to Columbia to use the University’s libraries and facilities to pursue their own independent (non-collaborative) research. On the Morningside campus, these visitors are currently designated as Visiting Scholar/Scientist and should continue to be designated in this manner. For more information about designating visiting scholars/scientists, see this link.

✘ Short-term visitor

-----------------------------------------------------
Short-term visitors. This population of visitors includes students (e.g., high school students) or non-students who come to observe programmatic activities or to receive training by observation in specific research or clinical techniques for three months or less. For more information on short-term visitor policies in research-related and clinical activities, see this link.

Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

VSI Requiring Visa Sponsorship

_Steps; _{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}; _{➁ Dean’s Office approval}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: _{➂ Visa Processing by ISSO}^[4]; _{➃ Student arrival}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: _{➄ PAC transaction}

_{☑ When does it}
_happen?; ^{3 months}^{in advance of student’s intended start date.}; ^{Turnaround time: 3-5 days if no edits.}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: ^{ISSO turnaround time: 1 week.}; ^{Any time before the}
^{internship starts, but}
^{ideally 30 days in}
^{advance if student is receiving full/partial funding from CU.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{After student’s arrival on campus. The transaction should be submitted as soon as possible}
^{after student’s arrival on campus, as it will take a minimum of 30 days for the first payment to be issued.}

_{☑ What}
_happens?; ^{Faculty notifies their Department they wish to invite a visiting student intern.}
^{Department representatives should send the}^{Visiting Student Intake Form}^{to the prospective intern. After the intern completes the first section of the intake form, the form should be sent to the Columbia sponsoring faculty member or officer of research (PI) for completion. The completed form must be signed by the PI and a Dean’s Office representative.}
^{Once all required signatures are collected, the department representative must upload the}^{Visiting Student Intake Form}^{and other required documents (listed above) to the}^{DAC App}^{by clicking the 'Start New VSI Intake' button on the DAC app dashboard.}
^{Department representatives may request access via the}^{DAC User Application form}^.; ^{After department representative receives a confirmation that the VSI Intake has been created within the}^{DAC App}^{, the department may issue the}^{invitation letter}^{to the candidate.}
^{If a visa is needed, the Dean’s Office will direct the department to submit a visa application on ISSO’s SSP portal. Otherwise, the department can move to step 4.}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: ^{Department representatives submits the student’s visa application via the ISSO’s SSP portal, including a copy of the VSI approval confirmation from the DAC App. The ISSO will issue a DS-2019 for students requiring a J-1 Scholar visa. Undergraduate students, however, will be processed as J-1 Student Interns (see details below). This step includes a visual compliance check via Visual Compliance.}
^{J-1 student intern}^{completes DS 7002.}
^{Please note:}^{Students holding an F-1 should apply for OPT through their home institution, not ISSO.}; ^{Student arrives in NYC.}
^{Department representatives should no longer use DIA to grant VSI access; it will now be granted automatically via the DAC App on the date selected in the DAC Intake Form.}
^{Student picks up CU ID card.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{Department prepares PAC transaction documents.}
^{Students who are getting paid, in part or in full, by Columbia, will need to be}
^{entered into PAC by the Department;}
^{this is not needed for students who arrive with full funding}

_{☑ Required}
_Documents; ^{Department prepares and submits to the school/institute/center:}
^{• Visiting student intern (VSI) intake form & attachments ABCD below}
^{A - Candidate CV}
^{B - Proof of funding}^[1]
^{C - Proof of enrollment}^[2]
^{D - Inventions Agreement for Visiting Personnel Using Columbia University Research Facilities}
^{• Draft invitation letter from PI}; ^{Department sends the candidate:}
^{• invitation letter}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: ^{The required documents will be determined by the relevant visa type; please refer to the ISSO website for guidance.}
^•^{J-1 student intern}^{requirements •}^C^{opy of the VSI approval confirmation from the DAC App.}; ^{Intern task:}^{Obtain CU ID card.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{PAC required documents:}
^•^PAF^{(Bio-demo data)}
^{• Stipend Authorization Form (indicate stipend info)}
^•^LAF^{(combo code to charge stipend payments)}
^{• I-94 (requires student to be present in the U.S.)}
^{• Passport ID page}
^{• Visa certificate}
^{• DS-2019 (for J-1 Visiting Scholars)}
^{• Visiting Student Intern Intake Form (indicating what the student will be doing, supervised by whom, and where)}
^{• Proof of enrollment}
^{• Copy of the VSI approval confirmation from the DAC App}

_^[1]_{Please see}_{https://isso.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/Forms/FundingDocumentsChecklistScholars.pdf}_{for a list of valid documents. Students may have up to 49% of the requisite USD $3000/month covered by personal funds. Proof of housing at no cost to the student (such as a letter written and signed by a family member/friend confirming a Visiting Student Intern living in the same household) may also be used to count toward the 49% coming from personal funds.}
_^[2]_{Proof of enrollment can take the form of an official transcript, or a letter from the Registrar’s Office, an academic adviser, or a senior administrator at the student’s home university.}
_^[3]_{In some cases, the Dean’s Office may determine, in consultation with the Provost’s Office, that the nature of the student’s training will constitute employment, rather than qualifying for the visiting student designation. Such cases will require an academic appointment.}
_^[4]_{The $500 fee for a J-1 Student Intern will be waived.}

Last Updated: January 13, 2026

US Citizens/Permanent Residents

^Steps; ^{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}; ^{➁ Dean’s Office approval}; ^{➂ Student Arrival}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{➃ PAC transaction}

^{☑ When does it}
^happen?; ^{2 months}^{in advance of student’s intended start date.}; ^{Turnaround time: 3-5 days if no edits.}; ^{Any time before the student’s internship starts.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{After student’s arrival on campus. The transaction should be submitted as soon as possible after student’s arrival on campus, as it will take a minimum of 30 days for the first payment to be issued.}

^{☑ What}
^happens?; ^{Faculty notifies their Department they wish to invite a visiting student intern.}
^{Department representatives should send the}^{Visiting Student Intake Form}^{to the prospective intern. After the intern completes the first section of the intake form, the form should be sent to the Columbia sponsoring faculty member or officer of research (PI) for completion. The completed form must be signed by the PI and a Dean’s Office representative.}
^{Once all required signatures are collected, the department representative must upload the}^{Visiting Student Intake Form}^{and other required documents (listed above) to the}^{DAC App}^{by clicking the 'Start New VSI Intake' button on the DAC app dashboard.}
^{Department representatives may request access via the}^{DAC User Application form}^.; ^{After department representative receives a confirmation that the VSI Intake has been created within the}^{DAC App}^{, the department may issue the}^{invitation letter}^{to the candidate.}
^{If a visa is needed, the Dean’s Office will direct the department to submit a visa application on ISSO’s SSP portal. Otherwise, the department can move to step 4.}; ^{Student arrives in NYC.}
^{Department representatives should no longer use DIA to grant VSI access; it will now be granted automatically via the DAC App on the date selected in the DAC Intake Form.}
^{Student picks up CU ID card.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{Department processes PAC transaction documents. Students who are getting paid, in part or in full, by Columbia, will need to be entered into PAC by the Department; this is not needed for students who arrive with full funding.}

^{☑ Required}
^Documents; ^{Department prepares and submits to the school/institute/center:}
^{• Visiting student intern (VSI) intake form & attachments ABCD below}
^{A - Candidate CV}
^{B - Proof of funding}^[1]
^{C - Proof of enrollment}^[2]
^{D - Inventions Agreement for Visiting Personnel Using Columbia University Research Facilities}
^{• Draft invitation letter from PI}; ^{Department sends the candidate:}^{• invitation letter}; ^{Intern task:}^{Obtain CU ID card.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{PAC required documents:}
^•^PAF^{(Bio-demo data)}
^{• Stipend Authorization Form (indicate stipend info)}
^•^LAF^{(combo code to charge stipend payments)}^{• Visiting Student Intern Intake Form (indicating what the student will be doing, supervised by whom, and where)}
^{• Proof of enrollment •}^C^{opy of the VSI approval confirmation from the DAC App.}

_^[3]_{In some cases, the Dean’s Office may determine, in consultation with the Provost’s Office, that the nature of the student’s training will constitute employment, rather than qualifying for the visiting student designation. Such cases will require an academic appointment.}

Last Updated: January 13, 2026

WHO ARE VISITING STUDENT INTERNS (VSI)?

ON THIS PAGE

TO SPONSOR A VSI, THE FOLLOWING THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

1 Enrollment Status

2 Funding

3 Training Description

Visiting Student Intern Program for NYC Local Area Students (VSI-Local)

Who are Visiting Student Interns - Local?

For minors (under 18 years old)

TO PROCESS VISITING STUDENT INTERN REQUESTS:

For approval on Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses follow step 4, and for CUIMC campus follow step 5.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFECTED BY VSI POLICY INCLUDE:

Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

VSI Requiring Visa Sponsorship

_Steps

_{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

_{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

_{➂ Visa Processing by ISSO}^[4]

_{➃ Student arrival}

_{➄ PAC transaction}

_{☑ When does it}
_happen?

_{☑ What}
_happens?

_{☑ Required}
_Documents

US Citizens/Permanent Residents

^Steps

^{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

^{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

^{➂ Student Arrival}

^{➃ PAC transaction}

^{☑ When does it}
^happen?

^{☑ What}
^happens?

^{☑ Required}
^Documents

Phone

Contact Us

WHO ARE VISITING STUDENT INTERNS (VSI)?

ON THIS PAGE

TO SPONSOR A VSI, THE FOLLOWING THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

1 Enrollment Status

2 Funding

3 Training Description

Visiting Student Intern Program for NYC Local Area Students (VSI-Local)

Who are Visiting Student Interns - Local?

For minors (under 18 years old)

TO PROCESS VISITING STUDENT INTERN REQUESTS:

For approval on Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses follow step 4, and for CUIMC campus follow step 5.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFECTED BY VSI POLICY INCLUDE:

Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

VSI Requiring Visa Sponsorship

Steps

➀ Faculty and Department initiation

➁ Dean’s Office approval

➂ Visa Processing by ISSO [4]

➃ Student arrival

➄ PAC transaction

☑ When does ithappen?

☑ Whathappens?

☑ RequiredDocuments

US Citizens/Permanent Residents

Steps

➀ Faculty and Department initiation

➁ Dean’s Office approval

➂ Student Arrival

➃ PAC transaction

☑ When does ithappen?

☑ Whathappens?

☑ RequiredDocuments

Phone

Contact Us

_Steps

_{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

_{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

_{➂ Visa Processing by ISSO}^[4]

_{➃ Student arrival}

_{➄ PAC transaction}

_{☑ When does it}
_happen?

_{☑ What}
_happens?

_{☑ Required}
_Documents

^Steps

^{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

^{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

^{➂ Student Arrival}

^{➃ PAC transaction}

^{☑ When does it}
^happen?

^{☑ What}
^happens?

^{☑ Required}
^Documents